e doing to help safeguard against the acid erosion. and i believe it's doing a good job. good morning, america. breaking news, olympic hero charged with murder. oscar pistorius, the athlete who inspired people around the world for racing on a prosthetic legs, arrested after a shooting of his girlfriend his own home. sick at sea. >> have you seen anything like that? >> no. >> now, our reporter flies over the crippled cruise ship as it's towed slowly into port. hostages speak out about the harrowing moments when the fugitive excop captured them. >> he continued to say to us quite frequently, he would not kill us. >> tying them up in their own home. binding their hands and covering their heads with pillowcases.

how they escaped from christopher dorner. ♪ i think i want to marry you and our biggest love live ever on this valentine's day. a surprise proposal right here on "gma." the bride-to-be has less than one hour to pick the cake, the dress. and then, she's headed down the aisle in a flash live wedding with all of their friends and family here to celebrate. just one question, will she say yes? and if the bride does not say yes, josh elliott will do some softshoe, maybe some karaoke. >> nobody wants to see that. please, say yes. >> good morning, america. we're just six days away from robin's return. there it is right there. great to have elizabeth vargas here. we have a lot of breaking news. >> we do. including that merger,

american airlines and u.s. airways announces a massive merger to become the world's biggest airline. it will affect everyone who flies. and we're going to have the latest on the bumpy ride for chuck hagel on capitol hill, as key senators delay the confirmation vote on his nomination of defense secretary. there's been heated hears on whether or not to approve him. and jenny mccarthy defending her cousin, melissa mccarthy, on the critic who savaged melissa on his review of "identity thief." >> coming down on the worst kind of commentary. >> that's coming up. let's get to the breaking news out of south africa. the double-amputee sprinter, oscar pistorius, who captured so many hearts at the london olympics has been charged with murdering his model girlfriend. she was shot four times with his gun in his home. and abc's lama hasan has the latest. good morning, lama. >> good morning to you, george. oscar pistorius is appearing in

a south african court right now, being charged with the murder of his girlfriend. police confirms there's no reports of false entry and no other suspects involved. oscar pistorius was the first-ever double-amputee at the olympics. this morning, the man known around the world as blade runner, has being charged with murder, that his model girlfriend, reeva steenkamp, was found dead at his home in pretoria, south africa. police received the call at 1:00 this morning. and it wasn't the first time that disturbances had been reported. >> witnesses, neighbors, heard an altercation at the house late last night. and then, heard the shots. they believe very strongly, that the man they call blade runner, and gained fame around the world

for his exploits on the running track, shot his girlfriend dead. >> reporter: police confirm the sprinter and the model were the only two people at his home. steenkamp recently appeared on the cover of "hfm," in commercials and was due to appear in a reality tv show. taking to twitter, she was gushing about her plans for valentine's day just yesterday. tweeting, what do you have up your sleeve for your love tomorrow? later, she added, it should be a day of love for everyone. may it be blessed. south african police say they have heard reports of an argument or shouting earlier in the evening and overnight. and they will be questioning his neighbors about that. this is an ongoing investigation, they say, with detectives and forensic investigators at his home. they will oppose any bail applications. george? >> lama, thanks. that's a shocker. >> that is a shocker. we're going to turn to the latest on that crippled carnival cruise ship, "the triumph," due in port in mobile, alabama, in

just hours. the cruise ship's four-day cruise turned into a trip to misery for the more than 4,000 people onboard. abc's matt gutman flew right over the crippled boat. he's been tracking this story all night long and joins us from mobile with the latest. good morning, matt. >> reporter: hey, good morning, elizabeth. this you see here is the home stretch for "the triumph." instead of a sprint to the finish, it's been more like a crawl. the tugboats, held up at sea by stiff head winds. they're 60 miles from here. that means all of the passengers aboard may have to spend another half-day onboard. eight days and more than a boatload of horror stories later, what those onboard call a vacation from hell, now appears to be ending. have you ever seen anything like that? >> no. >> reporter: this morning, for the first time, a bird's-eye view of the crippled carnival "triumph," as it was towed to

part with 4,000 still onboard. it's incredible to see how hard the tugboat is fighting to steer the ship. it's 900 feet long. and the tugboat in front is pulling it. from above, you can make out the curious at the rails. the deck chairs turned into beds. what you can't see, the reports of elderly passengers running out of critical heart medicine. others onboard, squabbling over scarce food. passenger ann barlow texted us, no showers. the smell is terrible. we showed the pictures from our flight to mary, whose 12-year-old daughter, rebecca, is on "the triumph." >> the worst part, was when she said, mommy, i'm afraid i won't ever get to see you again. >> reporter: and this morning, families of those onboard say carnival is adding insult to the injury they already feel. these photos of carnival's owner, ricochetting across the web. mickey airson, who also owns the

miami heat, sitting courtside tuesday. even as the company's president was trying to apologize. >> at carnival, our promise to our guests is to provide great vacation experience. in this particular case, we did not deliver on that promise. >> reporter: now, it's 40 degrees out here this morning. with this wind, it feels like it's 29. and we're talking about thousands of people aboard that ship who had dressed for a tropical vacation, shorts and flip-flops. after all of that misery, the poor sanitation, no showers, hopefully the cold is the last indignity they have to suffer. now, we're going to turn to the new revelations in the christopher dorner case. police have closed the investigation. and the couple he took hostage in the final hours are speaking out for the first time. abc's cecilia vega is on the scene at big bear lake with the latest. good morning, cecilia. >> reporter: george, good morning. the story this couple tells is downright chilling.

they were held for 15 hours inside 1 of these houses. 15 minutes, excuse me. they say it felt like 15 hours. but the couple that crossed christopher dorner's path and survived, this morning there is relief. overnight, the unassuming couple, the 53-year-old former cop held hostage spoke publicly about their harrowing ordeal. the moment you realized this was christopher dorner, what went through your mind? >> that we were dead. really, it was pretty scary. >> reporter: karen and jim reynolds say they came face-to-face with dorner when they went to check on one of their ski lodge cabins around noon on tuesday. he was holed up inside. they say he was heavily armed. he tied their wrists and ankles. even covered their heads with pillowcases. for 15 minutes, they lay on the floor of their cabin terrorized. did at any time he talk to you about why he was doing what he was doing? >> he had said, i just want to clear my name. >> reporter: the couple only

managed to break free when dorn earp stole their car. the story fills in much of what police didn't know about his whereabouts, after he crashed his car and set it ablaze. the couple believes they could have been in their cabin since at least last friday. >> burn the gas. burn the gas. burn it down. >> reporter: meantime, police said tear gas canisters may have started the fire they believe ultimately engulfed dorner. but not on purpose. >> we did not intentionally burn down that cabin to get mr. dorner out. >> reporter: and 24 morning, we now know the name of dorner's final victim. san bernadino county sheriff's deputy, jeremiah mackay was killed in dorner's last shoot-out with police. the father of two, young children telling the associated press earlier this week, we're hoping this comes to a close without more casualties. and still no positive i.d. on that body pulled from the burned

house two days ago. the authorities are awaiting forensic tests. if more from jim and karen reynolds and their harrowing story at the moments they came face-to-face with the most-wanted man in america. here they are, their incredible story in their own words. >> he talked to us, trying to calm us down. and saying, very frequently, he would not kill us. >> he made us put our hands behind our back. and he tied our hands. made us get up and walk into the back bedroom. made me lay on the floor. and he bound my feet with -- >> the plastic. >> and he tied my hands off so they couldn't move. once he got us bound, then he went out to the bathroom real quick, which is real close. and came back with a couple of wash cloths. stuck one in each of our mouths. >> and he put pillowcases on our head. >> and he kneeled down beside me and said, don't try to get loose. give me time. i said, sure. and then, he left.

we listened for probably a minute or two to see if -- make sure he was gone. sounded quiet. then, we started struggling trying to get loose. >> he scooted towards the bedroom door that he had closed. but he couldn't get up. and couldn't reach -- i mean, we were really bound. he couldn't get the doorknob. >> yeah. >> i was able to roll on to my knees and scoot over to the bed and actually get on to my feet. and kind of shuffled, to where he was and got the door open. >> what an incredible story. i can see why 15 minutes felt like 15 hours. let's turn, now, to josh ellio elliott, with more on the developing stories overnight. good morning, josh. >> good morning to you both and all of you. we're going to begin with big news for anyone who flies. american airlines, u.s. airways have announced their long-awaited merger. a massive $11 billion deal to form the world's largest

airline. what does it mean for travelers? abc's lisa stark has some answers. >> reporter: they've been dating for over a year. this morning, a marriage is at hand. it would be a megamerger, combining american's 3,500 daily flights with u.s. airways' 3,000 departures. the new airline would carry more than 130 million passengers a year. >> the merger announcement is a mixed bag for consumers. in the short-term, very little is going to change. >> reporter: that's because it takes more than a year to truly merge two airlines. it's a complicated and messy business. and in the long run, the merger reduces competition. and that can run up fares. >> for the average traveler, a person travels two or three times by plane, a merger is generally not good news because it's going to impact their wallet. >> reporter: five years ago, there were six major traditional airlines in the u.s. but then, delta hooked up with northwest. united with continental.

if u.s. airways and american get hitched, that leaves three, big carriers and low cost giant, southwest. one thing passengers won't have to worry about is losing their coveted frequent flier miles. a combined airline allows more chances to wrack up those points. now, this merger still needs approval from the american airlines bankruptcy judge, as well as the department of justice. for now, it's business as usual. if you're holding a ticket on american, you head to american. if you're holding a ticket on u.s. airways, you are leaving on one of their jet planes. josh? >> great work on the story, lisa stark. thank you for it. troubling, new signs this morning that iran may be looking to expand its nuclear program. "the washington post" reports iranian agents tried to buy tens of thousands of specialized magnets from china. the magnets are part of a key component used in making nuclear fuel and weapons. and authorities have

uncovered a new drug tunnel beneath the u.s./mexico border. this one in arizona. it's two feet wide. but it is 68 feet long. agents seized more than 1,200 pounds of marijuana in the discovery. and new evidence that the housing market is, in fact, bouncing back. foreclosures have dropped to their lowest level since the peak of the housing boom some six years ago, thanks in part to new laws protecting homeowners. getting knocked out, is one thing. getting knocked out without a punch being thrown is what happened here. ray edwards, the big fella, took the ring in north dakota. his opponent didn't show up. some guy from iowa half the size didn't want the show to not go on. so, he decided to jump into the ring. and he did what all of us would do. took a dive worthy of -- a 2 1/2 pike, perfect entry. 10 from every judge.

he may have sought medical attention. i don't know. >> it was the whoosh. >> yeah, the whoosh. the wind power of that punch. the best part about this is the commissioner of the boxing association has now suspended that boxer for taking that guy on. this is just cruel. >> josh, thanks. we're going to turn to washington now, where president obama's nominee for defense secretary has hit another speed bump. key senate republicans are holding up the confirmation vote for their former colleague, chuck hagel. can this delay derail the nomination? let's bring in jon karl. he made it through the armed services committee. why the holdup now? >> reporter: republicans are demanding more information about his background. they have a long letter, detailing questions about the work he did after he left the senate. and they will not allow an up-or-down vote. other senators want information on the attack in benghazi.

but the bottom line is, democrats will try to force a vote as early as today, maybe tomorrow. but they will need 60 votes to get him confirmed, at least now. and right now, a top senate democrat told me they don't think they have the votes. >> they don't have the votes, even if there's 65 senate democrats and republicans said they won't filibuster this nomination. >> reporter: they're not filibustering. but they want more information before they allow that up-or-down vote. this may be a matter of weeks if they can't get to 60. >> jon karl, thank you very much. now, we're going to get to an enormous asteroid in outer space heading towards earth. scientists are watching it very closely. abc's john muller has the story. >> the size of texas. >> my god. >> reporter: it's not quite "armageddon." but it is massive, frightening and getting closer by the hour.

its name, da-14. and it weighs 130,000 metric tons, more than a cruise ship. if that doesn't impress you, it's half the size of a football field. and it's whizzing through space eight-times faster than a bullet fired from a gun. this animation made by scientists shows it will come within 17,000 miles of the earth tomorrow. an astronomically close shave, worthy of "star wars." ♪ the hair-raising track has da-14 sliding inside the 22,000 mile orbits of communication satellites. hold on to your smartphones. it's a lang shot. but some experts say collision with a satellite is possible. what's absolutely impossible, a collision with the earth. that's not going to happen. at least not this time. >> we know about 1% of these objects. there's 99% of them out there, ready to destroy tokyo, paris,

new york, or land in the middle of the pacific ocean. >> reporter: well, we won't be blowing up da-14, scientists will study this near-miss closely. someday we will be on track for a direct hit. and superscience will need to save the day. for "good morning america," john muller, abc news, new york. >> just like in the movies. >> yep. >> just like in each and every movie. >> yes. what have you got, sam? >> we're going to show you -- well, we started out with rough weather of late. how about a beautiful picture you sent us from capitola, california. gorgeous views of monterey bay. it's the best weather on the board. and it looks like an italian villa city. >> it sure does. >> it's gorgeous. we salute you capitola, california. great stuff going on. 61 in sacramento. 67 at san francisco. palm springs at 75.

phoenix, you're a couple degrees above normal at 68 degrees. there's a light dusting of snow away from the coastline. big cities didn't get it. we're getting drier air. 46 in philadelphia. 46 in new york city. we'll say 42 in boston. "good morning maryland" and happy valentine's day. i'm meteorologist lynette charles and we are dealing with some patchy fog out there this morning. we are dry but there are some

slick spots on the roadways as well. make sure you take it easy as you head out and about. 47 degrees will be our high temperature for today and the clouds will decrease as we go through time. so we will get plenty of sunshine in here. we have a new storm system working its way in here friday night into early saturday dropping rain and snow and on the backside of that system we are going to get very blustery as we head into sunday. >> little cold front drops into florida. but beautiful skies across the gulf coast today. we'll have more weather when we come back in a minute. >> thank you, sam. coming up on "gma," the high school sweetheart murder trial. a star football player accused of slashing his girlfriend to death. his defense is insanity. and one cousin defending another. jenny mccarthy lashing out at the film critic who savaged melissa mccarthy in his review of "identity thief." and it's our biggest valentine's day event ever. this woman is about to be

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the battle of bataan, 1942. [ all ] fort benning, georgia, in 1999.

[ male announcer ] usaa auto insurance is often handed down from generation to generation because it offers a superior level of protection and because usaa's commitment to serve the military, veterans, and their families is without equal. begin your legacy. get an auto-insurance quote. usaa. we know what it means to serve. and a good morning to you, i'm charlie crowson. >> and i'm megan pringle. here's are stories we're working on for you this morning. the baltimore police academy has suspended some staff. the shooting happened on tuesday during a training exercise in baltimore county and owings mills. all training academy operations have also been suspended.

police have not released the identity of that trainee. he remains in critical condition. and today keith robertson will appear before a judge. he admitted to shooting a football player at morgan state university. he will be in court for his hearing. he is facing a handful of charges including attempted first degree murder and assault. that football player however is expected to survivor. almost 7:30 and let's get a check on the weather out the door. here's meteorologist lynette charles to let you know. >> we're in store for a sunny day. the clouds and fog going to get out of here. with that we have high pressure building in across the area. we still do have some slick rhees out there this morning -- roadways out there this morning. as we check on abc2's most accurate future trend, we have a dry day today. dry for the most part tomorrow. and then by the evening time, that's when we have the chance for some rain and snow to move into the picture. and then on the backside of this on saturday, still some snow wrapping up. let's get a check now of the abc2 timesaver traffic with lauren cook. good morning. good morning lynette. well, we are dealing with several accidents trouble in anne arundel county where there's a crash on 97 it's

right along the northbound lanes at route 3 and more problems on westbound 195 where we're dealing with a crash at 95. there's a crash on the off ramp from monrovia road to 95 and here's a live look at the west side of the beltway. jammed here at baltimore national mike. a 28men delay on the outer loop from 795 down to 70. but here up in hunt valley. 83 nice and clear at shawan road. megan and charlie, over to you. >> it's nasty out there. >> be safe. we're out of time. we're going to send you back to "good morning america." >> back in a half hour, have a good day.

♪ i'm on top of the world look who that is on the cover of "people" magazine. it's our robin roberts. looking so radiant, so beautiful. and telling the world how lucky she feels to be alive. boy, this is such a feature right here. all kinds of great pictures. robin, really opening up. you're all going to hear from her, right here, live, just six days away. robin returns s to "good morni america." >> what a beautiful picture. >> they all are. >> you can say on that. >> we'll just stare at that face. >> six days. >> amazing beauty, no matter what she goes through. good bones are good bones. >> that's right. >> good morning, rob. we'll see you in six.

see you in six. >> there's a great picture of her and her mom in here, by the way. >> lots of great pictures. coming up in this half hour -- we might be spending a lot of time with "people" magazine, if our bride says no. it's our biggest valentine's event ever this morning. this woman right there thinks she's here for a story on over-the-top romantic dates. she's in hair and makeup as we speak. but her boyfriend asked for our help in the ultimate surprise marriage proposal and a flash wedding, live. >> the whole wedding party. tuxes and bridesmaids dresses. >> she has to say yes to getting married. and yes to getting married in 15 minutes. >> oh, my gosh. >> we cannot contact her? >> please don't. >> they took her cell phone. they basically said, you're a part of this thing we're going to talk about the extreme crazy

dates because they had an extreme, crazy date. she thinks all this is going down. apparently, anything could go wrong. and everything can on this broadcast. we don't know if she's going to say yes. >> we don't know. >> and we don't have a show planned if she doesn't. >> you can get a copy. >> we will dramatically read from "people" magazine. >> this is a very brave "gma." >> the whole article for our audience. first, we're going to switch gears because we have a very dramatic trial that's begun with a football star player, charged with murdering his girlfriend when she tried to break off their relationship for good. opening arguments began wednesday in massachusetts. the defense is making an insanity plea. and that's a tough way to go. abc's linsey davis is here with the latest on this story. good morning, linsey. >> reporter: it was a tearful day for both sides in the courtroom. the defense was considering an insanity defense. and on wednesday, that's how they laid it all out in the

opening statement. they say because of a brief psychotic disorder, fujita should not be held responsible for the crime. 20-year-old nathaniel fujita, the man prosecutors describe as a cold-blooded killer, sat in the courtroom wednesday, wiping away tears, as he heard the defense detail his future as a high school athlete, with plans to go to college. plans that ended after prosecutors say he stabbed and strangled his girlfriend, after having a tough time with their breakup. >> the gaping wound, the strangulation. every, single one of those was inflicted while lauren astley was alive. >> reporter: her grief-stricken mother became overcome with emotion during the opening statement. >> he wasn't able to control what he was doing. >> reporter: the defense admits fujita killed the woman he loved. but said he was suffering a psychotic episode.

in court, they pointed jurors to a history of schizophrenia and mental disorders in fujita's family. saying he was battling depression during the murder two years ago, after she broke up with him. he begged her to come back in an e-mail. please give it another shot or we'll both regret it. >> nathaniel tells dr. myers, he felt he was acting outside of his body. >> reporter: but the prosecution says the murder was deliberate and premedicated, as evidenced by his attempts to cover his tracks. hiding bloody clothes. even putting astley's body in a marsh. and they say there was a suspicious and telling google search found on his computer. >> does water erase fingerprints. i asked when you hear that, not only to think about the implications for what he did. but think about the implications for how his mind was working and what his intentions were. >> reporter: fujita has pleaded not guilty to first-degree murder.

he also faces assault and battery charges. if convicted, he faces life in prison without parole. elizabeth? >> linsey, thanks so much. for more, let's bring in "gma's" legal analyst, dan abrams. you can make the argument that anybody who commits murder is temporarily insane. >> the insanity defense is always hard. this is even harder because this is what they're calling a single psychotic episode. the insanity defense is easier, to some degree, when you got someone with a real documented history of mental illness, throughout his or her life. here, you have the defense saying, this is someone with a family of people who had some mental illness. >> does that matter? >> i don't think the jury will find it relevant in this kind of case. >> we know that mental illness can run in families. >> but just to say -- can you imagine that every time someone committed a crime and someone said, there's someone in my family with mental illness.

that could be every case in this country. this is a tough defense. but the prosecution has the rov insane. >> but the prosecution does have a lot of evidence, which appears to show that he not only knew what he did was wrong, but he took great lengths to cover it up. even premedication with that google search. >> that's the big problem here. i think the best the defense can hope for, really, in this case, is a second-degree murder conviction. we've seen that in massachusetts before, where there's been cases where people have pled insanity. they've been charged with first-degree murder. they ended up walking away with second-degree murder. i did a bunch of research of past cases in many massachusetts on insanity. most often it doesn't work. but the cases where it does work are so extreme. a mother who killed her children and things like that. >> the history of postpartum depression. >> long histories, et cetera. this is a very tough defense. >> bottom line, will he have to take the stand? >> i don't think there's a chance he takes the stand. there's no way he takes the stand. to demonstrate -- to show that you're insane.

it would just be -- >> there's lots of defendants that do that. >> not often in insanity defenses. you want the doctors to testify. i talked to him. here's my medical opinion. >> okay. dan abrams, thanks for being here this morning. let's check in with sam champion over there at the weather boards. >> we're going to start with doherty county, alabama. you're going to see a sinkhole there. four inches of flooding in this zone yesterday. this is a part of the country that's gotten up to ten inches of rain in the last four days because of a stationary front that's been in that area. the front hasn't been able to move and it's been rain, rain, rain. you're drying today in georgia and a good part of the southeast. this is not good news for florida, unless you need the rain. and many places in florida do. this rain will cause flooding from orlando to west palm beach. it's two to three and more than three inches of rain in the area. you see that shaded in yellow. a soaking rainfall.

started across georgia and start to move south from there. all over the state of florida, in south georgia. cold blast of air comes into the northeast and great lakes for the weekend. it's a great day today in places like new york city and maybe 50 degrees. boston, 42 today. washington, d.c., almost 50 degrees, as well. 54 on friday. watch the cold air move in by saturday into sunday. this is a real drop in your temperatures. quick look at the big board, just so everybody feels included. >> all of today's weather was brought to you by aarp. we'll look next half hour. coming up, jenny mccarthy defending melissa mccarthy, after a critic savaged her movie. and the bride-to-be, we

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critics. take a look. >> i can do this all day with you. >> reporter: it is the plus-sized controversy this morning that doesn't seem to be going away. >> she's very, very, very talented. you know that. >> absolutely. >> reporter: late wednesday, jenny mccarthy came to the defense of her cousin, actress melissa mccarthy, after the comedienne's new movie "identity theft," as well as her size, were panned by critic rex reed. >> i don't know the whole story. i know after being in this business for 20 years, it's really crummy you get attacked in your personal life in general. >> reporter: while melissa has yet to respond, reed has, defending his review on new york's wor radio on wednesday. >> that's what her career is about. she's basing her career on being obnoxious and being overweight. and i don't think that's funny.

>> reporter: reed took credit for "identity theft," stealing the weekend box office, earning nearly $30 million, doubling expectations. saying his controversy over criticism of mccarthy was manufactured by the movie studio. >> it got bad reviews from everybody. but i'm the one they chose this time to cash in on to try to sell the picture. >> reporter: but while reed may take issue with mccarthy's on-screen performance, he says he has praise for her real-life character. >> this girl, melissa mccarthy has remained completely silent. and i think that's very classy. >> reporter: reed says, after years of watching friends struggle with weight issues, he just doesn't find fat jokes funny. >> i don't care how much melissa mccarthy weighs. i mean, you know, she wants to be fat. mark, she is crying all the way to the bank. >> they say sometimes success can be the best revenge. the movie was number one. made over $36 million at the box

office. >> i'm a fan. i have to say. i've been a fan of hers for a long time. coming up, everybody, the clock. you hear it? ticking towards our biggest valentine's day special ever. it is a first of its kind. it's a surprise flash wedding. the bride-to-be, completely in the dark. and will she say yes? we sure hope so. >> we do. also, we have a "play of the day" for you. a guy so good on the skateboard, even tony hawk, the best ever, can't believe it. thank you for freezing it. it's unreal. it started with a phone call. she said, "i haven't done my taxes for a few years." what's a few? she said, "i think it's eight." she showed up with four file boxes of paperwork. "here, take my stuff and figure it out." i will do that for you. it's a mental challenge. it's a puzzle. but getting you the maximum refund- that's what i'm here for. bring it on.

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right then. here's "the play of the day." >> so, "the play of the day," sent this to me yesterday. it is unbelievable. this is adam miller, a skateboarder, performing this trick. >> oh. wow. >> watch it in slow motion. that's off one skateboard,

somersault flip, down to -- >> another one. >> another skateboard. >> let's ask him. he's joining us, about 1 million youtube hits later, via skype. adam miller from alburnett, iowa. adam, you slow it down -- it gets more incredible when you slow it down. how many times did you attempt this before you got it? >> well, i spent two days trying it at a bigger spot. and then, when it rains in san diego, we decided to go inside and try it there. it only took me about seven tries. >> unreal. we're running out of time. i want to get the greatest ever, tony hawk, who weighed in, called this amazing. he's joining us right now. tony, i want you to meet adam miller. and i know you have something to say to him. >> i just want to thank you for doing that. and putting it on the youtube channel. it's a great video. we're excited about it. >> thanks, tony. >> tony, real quick, as good as

you've seen? >> yeah. that's one of the most unique tricks i've ever seen. i'm excited to be there. i'm in the background, filming on my phone. >> that's phenomenal. adam miller, we can't watch it enough. apparently neither can the internet. 1 million will be 2 million real soon. congratulations. stay safe. only try this at home if you're as good as adam or tony. thanks for joining us this morning. incredible. will she say i do? who knows? we don't know. ♪

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good morning, i'm megan pringle. >> and i'm charlie crowson. here's the top stores for you on this thursday morning. the mother of a 10-year-old girl killed on new year's eve wants to peak sure no other faces the same tragedy. her mother began a petition to stop celebratory gunfire. the we the people petition now needs 100,000 sixties before it's forwarded to the president to review. today o'malley will testify before a senate committee hearing in annapolis. he believes they have the will to ban capital punishment this season. on your valentine's day morning len et what's beginning

on out there? >> all right we're looking pretty good. we still do have some patchy fog but some sunshine in here through the day. the good news is the system is our here. still deal -- out of here. still dealing with slick roadways charlie because we have temperatures that are below freezing in some spots still. by tonight temperatures dropping back off if you have those plans that date make sure you do bundle up as you head out and about. as we head into the weekend, we will have another system bringing some rain late on friday early saturday. and some very windy conditions as we head into saturday and sunday as well. let's get a check now of the abc2 timesaver traffic with lauren cook. good morning. we are following a crash on route 100 along the eastbound lanes at 97. expect heavy delays on 695 a crash is just cleared from the outer loop at richie highway. but up to liberty road, you'll notice the extensive delays here on the outer loop it's going to take you an extra 25 minutes to travel from 795 down to 70. average speeds just 25 miles per hour. doesn't get much better here in parkville.

heading over to harford road, outer loop will be very slow up towards providence road. megan and charlie, over to you. all right we're out of time. we're going to send you back to "good morning america." >> back in half an hour with more news, weather and traffic. be safe out there on the roads. have a backup. [ male announcer #1 ] verizon fios

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[ cheers and applause ] this morning, "gma" cordially invites you to the biggest valentine's day event, ever. you're about to see a surprise proposal. and before the hour is over, will this couple be married in a live wedding? we've got the dress, the cake, and help from all of her family and friends. just one question -- ♪ i think i want to marry you >> will she say yes? we'll find out when you do. so, get ready for love, live in "good morning america's" wedding in a flash, right here in times square. ♪ i think i want to marry you

i've got the jitters this morning. happy valentine's day. we're going to make history right here on "gma." >> the couple you're seeing right there. the beautiful blonde in the gray coat. and the man with the beard standing next to her, think they're here for a story of a romantic date. >> she does. >> he knows what's up. in a few minutes, her boyfriend is going to propose. he asked for help pulling off the biggest surprise ever. her cell phone has been taken away. she has no idea what's going to happen. you're looking live at them in front of our studio at times square. all of her friends and family are hidden in a tent. we're talking, like, 20 feet away. >> he's going to ask her -- he's going to ask her -- >> can you do that one more time with the camera, a look at the tents? >> okay. thank you. >> if you're trying to do the math at home, we now have about a one in ten chance to pull that

off today. and that is -- i would argue that might be -- we better -- >> that could go either way. and do it right now. and this is a girl who, we know, has fantasized about her wedding day her whole life. >> happy valentine's day. >> no pressure. lots to get to. "girls" one of the hottest shows on television. although, it has sparked a heated debate right now. the latest episode, created a lot of controversy about the idea, perhaps, dating someone who is theoretical out of one's league. i will use the quote marks liberally right there. >> yeah. >> we will be discussing it today. also, a very special, exclusive interview. can't wait to share this with you. oscar nominee, great guy, hugh jackman. saying who he based his "les mis" character on. the greatest man he knows. let's get some news from

josh. >> we're going to begin with that shocking news overnight. an olympic hero charged with murder. oscar pistorius, the double-amputee sprinter, known as blade runner, has been charged with killing his girlfriend, model reeva steenkamp. police say he shot her inside his home there. the circumstances remain unclear. but neighbors say they heard arguing coming from the house just before the shots were fired. we'll have updates as news becomes available. the nightmare almost over for some 4,200 people trapped on that crippled cruise ship in the gulf of mexico. the carnival "triumph" is scheduled to arrive in mobile, alabama. not soon enough for the passengers. once in port, albeit in windchill temps equaling the mid-20s, they'll have to be bussed to louisiana or texas for hotel rooms. american airlines and u.s.

airways have announced an $11 billion merger to form the world's biggest airline. it will use american's name but keep u.s. air's management. some predict higher ticket prices. others disagree, saying the merger will create more competition for delta and united. we have details from the vatican about pope benedict's health. officials say the pope struck his head during a trip to mexico, leading some to speculate it may have been a factor in his decision to resign. the vatican denies it played any role in the pope's decision. a surprising, new study finds that the morning-after pill is more popular than ever. 11% of women say they've used plan b emergency contraception. that's up from 4% a decade ago. researchers say it's largely because the pill is so much easier to get. and finally, what would you do if you were this guy? a homeless man in kansas city, named billy ray harris looked down in his change cup. he realized a woman had stopped to give him some change.

had dropped her diamond engagement ring into his cup. yes. could have pawned it for thousands. gotten away with it. instead, when he saw her again, after hanging on to it, he gave it back. she offered some cash as a thank you, a reward. he said, nope. doing the right thing, better than any cash reward. it is, in fact, priceless. and i hope, sarina, you're watching at home. i hope everybody can capture that, if only for a moment. >> really. >> billy ray harris, bless you. >> that is great. it's normally "pop news" time. but i'm going to take the honors first from lara. >> what? >> we have a special announcement. the oscars are about ten days away. we found out, it's right here in this envelope, who is going to be hosting the pre-oscar show on the red carpet. are you guys ready? let's see. drumroll, please. it starts out, first of all --

very good. our friend, jess cagle. number two, this is great. kristin chenoweth, as well. and number three, look to your right. look to your left. lara spencer. >> hey. >> and now, one more name. this is fantastic. guess who else is going to be on the red carpet? >> does it rhyme with hobben hoberts? >> robin roberts. this has been robin's goal, since she started feeling ill last year. she wanted to come back for the oscars, to return for the osc oscars. she's doing it. she will be on the red carpet with lara, jess and kristin chenoweth. what a great show. >> that's great. >> congratulations. >> thank you. thanks. i'm very excited. robin, we have a date. so excited. that's february 24th, 7:00

eastern, 4:00 pacific. now, a couple more "pop news" spots for you. it was a bewitching night in hollywood, for the premiere of "oz: the great and powerful." mila kunis, michelle williams, rachel weisz play the three witches in the film. on the yellow brick road. and james franco, who plays the wizard. this is an interesting one. they had him take off in a hot air balloon over hollywood boulevard, before walking the yellow brick road. you can see the movie in theaters. it comes out on march 8th. yeah. it does look really, really good. and in the spirit of valentine's day, we have compiled 14 of the most romantic movie lines ever. want to see how well you know your love lines. number one, love means never having to say you're sorry.

movie? >> i know this one. >> i do, too. why can't i think of it? >> "love story." george, ding. if you're a bird, i'm a bird. >> "madagascar." >> no. "the notebook." all right. i'll do this one in character. you should be kissed and often and by someone who knows how. >> "steel magnolias." >> "gone with the wind." >> that was your rhett butler? >> that was rhett butler? >> that was rhett butler. >> that was -- >> that was his cousin, reba. >> all right. finally, george, this one's for you. to me, you are perfect. >> wow. >> your favorite movie. "love actually." >> i do love that movie. i forgot the line. >> well, george got --

>> i got one. >> happy valentine's day. >> i'll have what she's having. >> oh. >> "when harry met sally." >> when you want romance, go to a diner. sam, you better take the weather now. >> i got two tickets to paradise. eddie money. it wasn't a movie. let's get to the boards. one or two things going on this morning. a lovely live shot of chicago, illinois, this morning. beautiful, beautiful, chicago. little clipper comes through the area. it moves east, green bay, chicago, milwaukee, travers city, even detroit. most will get one to three inches of snow. but near the lakes, eight inches of snow. that low clips through for a light coating thursday into friday. this is more of a friday event, what you see on the east coast, new york through philadelphia. how about beautiful numbers? the west is showing off with great skies, from brownsville, texas. i miss you, south texas, i really do. houston, 67 degrees. dallas, about 68 degrees, as

well. this is the time of year it's really great to just hang out in the de >> lara, when doing rhett butler, you kind of have to -- >> are you okay? >> we said -- >> frankly, my dear -- more like that. no. >> that would be rhett butler, exactly.

what's the "morning menu"? >> that's not on the menu. this is our "morning menu." there's a big debate sparked by one of the hottest shows on tv. why anyone cares if you're dating -- and i use this term loosely, out of your league. plus, steve martin, now a dad for the first time. why so many fathers are waiting until later in life to have kids. and our biggest love live ever. will she say yes? we hope so. otherwise, we have a lot of show to if till. stay tuned for "good morning america," coming up live in times square. mine was earned in djibouti, africa, 2004. the battle of bataan, 1942. [ all ] fort benning, georgia, in 1999. [ male announcer ] usaa auto insurance is often handed down from generation to generation because it offers a superior level of protection and because usaa's commitment to serve the military, veterans, and their families

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and we are -- good going. we're going to do a story, now, about something that's called dating up or dating out of your league. it was something that came up very recently on an episode of "girls." lena dunham's character, very celebratory of her disheveled look, dating a very good-looking guy. and a lot of people got worked up about this whether it's a real issue. and it actually is. abc's juju chang has the story. >> reporter: she's hollywood's unlikely it girl. yet, mismatched clothes and all, some saline in a dunham has captured the voice of the 20-something generation, playing hannah, in the award-winning hbo show, "girls." which she writes and directs. on a show already known for

pushing boundaries -- >> unlike you, i'll do almost anything sexually. >> reporter: but what she did stirred controversy, when an unkemped hannah, has a multiday affair with joshua, an older, wealthy, handsome doctor. >> you are very beautiful. >> reporter: but this morning, these mismatched mates on tv, have opened up a real-life debate online. with critics saying, he's out of her league. and calling the tryst between such different-looking and acting characters, implausible. even uncomfortable. while others say, it was charming, even evocative. why are people up in arms? >> it's unkind. bup it's human nature. >> reporter: social psychologists have long-documented our human tendency to pair off with like attractiveness. when a supermodel is paired with a less-than-supermodel, it sends shock waves. and folks assume the mismatch is

made up by money, power or social status. >> it's not just physical. their need is being filled by this person. >> our thanks to juju chang. i did a story on this for "20/20" with real couples who are married. and people come up to them on the street and comment on the asymmetry of the relationship. >> causing a debate. >> it sure is. let's go outside to josh. good morning, elizabeth. we want to say good morning to melissa cohen and brian bundy. we've been appealing to you. we wanted your best over-the-top dating stories for a valentine's day story. we got a lot of good ones. but maybe not quite this good, like the time that he took her to fiji. two weeks, three weeks after they met. all right? so, we have a valentine's day date in mind. but they might never forget the first one. take a look at the love story.

>> melissa and i met on match.com. i'm a scuba instructor. try come diving with me. she said, i'm certified. we went for pedicures on our first date. it ended with dinner. i had a trip set up for fiji, a couple of weeks after i met melissa. it's hard to tell someone you really just met, i think it's a great idea for you to come halfway across the world with me, in six or eight weeks. that's kind of where we were at. after a little bit of conversation, a lot of questions, she decided that she wanted to come to fiji with me. and i thought it was the best decision we ever made. i knew after the trip to fiji, absolutely, she was the one i had to marry. she's so positive about everything. she's always smiling and laughing. just like a glimmer in her eye. it lights up everybody in the room. i'm always on the internet. and i found a link to "good morning america" that said, you got 300 words or less, send us a picture and tell us your story on why we should pick you as the

couple that would get married on live television. >> i never heard of this, getting married on national tv. >> this is so her. >> in order for me to marry melissa, i knew i had to ask for her father's permission. >> eni said i would be more than happy for him to marry my daughter. >> melissa, i love you more than anything in the entire world. i think this is going to be a great adventure. the greatest valentine's day gift i could ever give. i love you, melissa. and i can't wait to marry you. [ cheers and applause ] >> will you marry me? >> yes. >> we have a yes. we have a yes. [ cheers and applause ] >> baby. >> i need you to marry me today. >> right now? >> right now. >> if you wouldn't mind. >> if you wouldn't mind,

melissa. all right. you're right. melissa, i'd like to invite you to your own wedding. read it, please. >> "good morning america" requests the honor of your presence, at the marriage of melissa ann cohen and brian bondi. half past 8:00 in the morning, times square, new york. >> i know we can do a good job. i know you got the right guy. will you say yes to an immediate flash wedding right now on "gma"? >> yes. >> yes. >> what's that? music. cue the music. >> and let's have the broadway dancers help us out. ♪ >> wow. ♪ ladies and gentlemen, we'll introduce the parents of the

bride. vicki and mark, come on out, please. we've been hiding them all morning long, just feet away from you. the parents of the groom, kenneth and ann marie are also here. by the way, up next -- there they are. the matron of honor, stacy, and the bridesmaids. and last, but not least, shawn is your groomsman and best man. here everybody is. >> i love the look on melissa's face right now. >> absolutely love it. >> are you going to do this? really? >> this is great. >> now, this is going to be -- this is just the beginning of your wild ride. i need to separate the two of you for a minute. melissa, we have stuff to do. we have dresses to pick.

everybody's here. the family's here. we have to get you ready for the big day that will happen live right here on "gma." are you ready? >> your surprise level is what? we're always worried about it. >> i'm in shock. i'm a little in shock right now. >> were you worried? >> i wasn't until about 7:30 this morning. and then, things started to get kind of crazy for me. before that, it was pretty good. >> all right. >> we've got so much to get to. come on, melissa. we're going to go make this day the most wonderful, beautiful day by picking out gorgeous dresses for you. we have lara spencer inside. we have everything worked out for you. we'll help you select your cake. we'll help you select your flowers. i know you probably had in your mind that you were going to have to do all the work here. but you don't have to do any work for this because we have it all. i can see you're a little stunned and shocked. >> a little bit. >> come on in. come on in. and here you go. >> oh, my god. >> i'm going to hand you off to

the wedding boutique of live love on "gma." >> congratulations. congratulations. i know this is probably a lot for you to take in. no pressure. but you do need something to wear. and so, terry hall is with me right now, from the bridal place to be. and say yes to the dress. we hope you'll say yes to the four that we have chosen. he gathered a lot of information. apparently, you've been posting some pictures, dreaming of your dream wedding on pinterest. >> i have. >> we pulled it down to four styles. terry, tell us about these styles for melissa. and is your maid of honor going to come and help you, maybe? >> come on, beautiful. >> josh, stacy is with you. we're not going to make you choose it right now. you can go upstairs. you have a whole lot of time, like five minutes. hi, stacy. great job. nice moves out there. >> one point, it's freezing out there. >> it is. >> tell us a little about your choices. >> we pulled very different

looks for you. we have a flavor of what you're looking for. this first look, this is the sexy sophisticate. it's showing the body. silk, satin. it's rouched. it has a little pickup on the bottom with insert lace on the bottom. what's interesting about this dress is it has a little microshrug. it's detachable. it looks like a cap sleeve. if you remove it, you can have a strapless dress. we thought we would have a lot of fun with the shoe. >> you're a shoe girl, right? >> yes. >> these are some options. and again, you can go upstairs. here's another option. there's three other choices right here. this is a little more vavavoom on the bottom. and a gorgeous dress from kleinfeld. speaking of carrie bradshaw,

this is the cocktail length. i think terry wanted to push the envelope with that one, right? >> absolutely. we thought we would have a little bit of fun. wanted to think a little out of the box. we tall this the flirtique. we put a fascinator with it for excitement. this is the princess bride. multiple pl multiple layers of tulle. look at the shoes we put here. >> a lot to think about. no pressure. you -- how much time do we have before the wedding? oh, by the way. the cake is coming up. you have to choose that, too. we'll be right back, everybody. the dress, the cake. and the cake boss.

good morning, i'm megan pringle, here's the top stories we're working oner few this morning. police say the shooter in a murder/suicide tuesday nearby the university of maryland campus worked briefly for campus police. the spokesperson says that dayvon green was a police auxiliary officer for about two weeks last august and september. he did in the carry a gun and was fired we're told for failing to show up for work twice. attorneys in the 2001 levy murder case will be back in court this morning for another hearing. the public will be allowed in court but they will not be allowed to hear anything being said. a white noise machine will be used during the proceedings that prevents observers from listening to what's said in the courtroom. time new for a check on the weather. here's meteorologist lynette charles to let you know how things are looking an the valentine's morning. >> all right megan looking pretty good. starting to get some sunshine out here that fog is burning off across the area.

and also temperatures will begin to rise throughout the day. we did have some slick spots out there this morning. still some areas below freezing, throughout the day that high temperature coming in right around 47 degrees and those clouds will continue to decrease as high pressure builds in across the area. check of the seven day forecast, well, brings another storm in here as we go into friday evening some rain mixing with snow. as we head into saturday. let's get a check now of the abc2 timesaver traffic with lauren cook. good morning. good morning lynette. well we have several accidents in baltimore city. we have a crash right now at pulaski highway and another right on falls road at cold spring lane. if you are heading into the city using the jfx, southbound lanes really going to be packed from the beltway all the way down to 28th street. and here's a live look at 695 in parkville. outer loop moving slowly. speeds clocking in at just 14 miles per hour. on the outer loop here at harford road. and over on the west side conditions even worse. it's going to take you an extra 25 minutes to travel the outer loop from 795 down to 70.

megan over to you. thanks so much lauren. we're going to have more news, weather and traffic in about 30 minutes. in the meantime let's head back to new york for more of "good morning america." [ harry umlaut ] that's one creamy muller. [ sally umlaut ] it's greek-style yogurt. thick, scrumptious, and more protein than those regular yogurts. are those almonds i see in the corner thingy? caramelized almonds i think you'll find. well, who wants ordinary run-of-the-mill almonds when you could have the caramelized kind? if i was this girl, i'd caramelize my whole apartment. weird. this greek style yogurt has style. you can say that again. why thank you. this greek style yogurt has style.

okay. stop saying it now. you're sending me mixed messages. [ male announcer ] muller. the european for yummy. ♪ will you marry me? >> yes. >> we have a yes. we got a yes. >> melissa did say yes. now, the wedding party, so excited because we're moments away from an actual wedding right here on "good morning america." >> i'm not sure she actually knows it's an actual wedding. >> robin, i'm sorry you're missing this. >> yeah. >> we can't wait for you to come back. just six days away. >> our wedding in a flash is about to start. our bride who is so game, ettin. she picked out her wedding dress. >> we gave her four. and she is trying them on. >> her walk down the aisle is moments away. there's the groom who is also getting ready. boy, is he gung ho.

>> i asked him, were you worried? he said about 7:30. >> we can't have a wedding without a cake. she has a pinterest page because she knew she had found the man of her dreams. she's getting everything ready. buddy valastro, "the cake boss" who did my wedding cake. you looked at her pinterest page and picked out some cakes. >> we looked at her pinterest page. and we picked out there one, like a fabric flow to it. and in front, we have a little hidden scuba diver. scuba is how they met. >> you are the best, sir. that is dynamite. i love that. >> sometimes brides want to incorporate something for the groom in there. that's what that is there. and we have a cup cake cheetah print. what is vavavoom for valentine's day. >> nothing says wild but cheetah

print. they're a fun-loving couple. then, you went elegant. >> the metallic look is really in right now. we did a little bling. little touches of sugar flowers. i think she's going to love any one of them. >> i think she will, too. >> which one do you like? >> this one -- >> that's my favorite, too. >> this looks a lot like the one you did for my wedding, anyway. george, what's coming up? >> we're going to skip way ahead to what comes after the wedding, having kids. it's in the news now. a lot of new dads are getting in the news for their age. steve martin. alec baldwin about to have his second child at age 54. and abc's diana perez takes a closer look at the phenomenon. >> reporter: for years, steve martin has played america's favorite dad on screen. but now, at the age of 67, the

fictional "father of the bride" is taking on the role of dad in real life. sources say, over the holidays, the media-shy martin, and his wife gave birth to a little girl. >> steve martin is very private when it comes to his personal life. so, we didn't know about the baby straight away. >> reporter: the one-time wild and crazy guy of "snl" joins a group of distinguished dads, taking on fatherhood later than life. alec baldwin and his wife announced they were expecting this summer. elton john and his partner, david fernish, are raising young boys. >> older parents have life experience. >> reporter: on tv, art now appears to be imitating life. >> i am pregnant. >> oh, come on. >> reporter: on abc's "modern family," jay pritchett just became a father. >> i felt like my life was

ending. now, you're telling me i get to have a new start with the woman of my dreams. i think i'm going to cry. >> i'm way ahead of you. >> one of the major benefits of having a child when you're much older in life is the fact it can give you a tremendous sense of purpose. >> reporter: as for martin, you might say this isn't his first rodeo. >> howdy, pardner. >> reporter: even if it's just in the movies. >> i hope this is the best dang birthday you've ever had. >> we wish him all kinds of happiness. >> so great. congratulations to the couple. a final check of weather from sam. >> i haven't settled down from love live yet. >> you've already done it, though. you don't have to do it again. >> but this is a lot. and there's so much going on here that we need to tell you about. in that moment, where he's ready with the ring, here's a little about the ring. robin's brother, the engagement ring store. he picked a one carat cushion

center diamond. it's about a carat and a half of diamonds. gorgeous ring. and then, also, you know you have to have a dinner. a party for everybody. so, that is taken care of, too. tonight, dell frisco's double-eagle steak house is hosting dinner for brian and melissa. think about what would have happened if she hasn't said yes. ed there with all of this food and we'd have to invite everybody. fillet, prime rib, oysters on the half shell. really nice menu. >> are we invited? >> i'm in. >> i don't know. but i think we can probably crash it. >> i think we can crash it. >> it's a "gma" event. how gorgeous is that room? all this is waiting ahead for the day. let's get a quick check of the weather so you know what's happening on your valentine's day. if you're just waking up, it is valentine's day. so, fake it. and then go out and buy a card and flowers and stuff. and come back in and act like you did it yesterday. beautiful pictures out there. and that's if you forgot.

valentine, kissee mills, love. just a few of our cities on the forecast. it's a wet one in the state of florida, from south georgia to the tip of the keys. elsewhere in the nation, a little light hit of snow, that kisses its way across the great lakes. that's right, ladies and gentlemen. all the way into the northeast. >> all that weather was brought to you by de vry. you are in the new "die hard" movie, right? >> right. >> today is the big day. >> we're excited.

>> you're huge. you're doing this movie. you were like 1 or 2 years old when the first "die hard" came out. 2 years old. now, you get a chance to work with bruce willis. you came off the film with tom cruise. what's it like to work with bruce willis? >> it's great. bruce is a great guy. a very talented individual. no surprise he's still doing it and so successful. you don't dream of these opportunities. i've been very lucky, very fortunate. >> two giant movies coming out after the tom cruise film. did you just start acting a month ago? how does this happen? no one gets two, big films this fast. >> i know. it's been a pretty crazy last year and a bit. i don't know. you don't prepare for these sorts of things. but i was spending a bit of time out in l.a., chasing it. auditioning a lot. and things just started to snowball at one point. and i'm making the most of it. >> well, the last one was

fantastic. this one looks amazing. we wish you all the luck in the world. come back and hang out at "gma" anytime you want. the film opens today. >> valentine's day. happy valentine's day. >> good date movie. by the way, we have a wedding going on all around. the bride is upstairs. you want to stay for our wedding? >> yeah. >> come on. we're inviting everybody. it's a flash wedding, right here on "gma."

back, now, with our countdown to oscar sunday, less than two weeks away. we just had the chance, the lucky chance, to catch up with hugh jackman, nominated for best actor for his role at jean valjean in "les mis." >> i love the oscars. i loved it as a kid. hosting and i love it. i enjoy it. the great thing about being a nominee, you get a pretty good seat. if i'm up in the mezzanine, there's a very good chance i won't be winning. >> reporter: no mezzanine for hugh, who has been front and

center for the part of jean valjean in "les mis." >> sometimes it's hard to get into character. getting to play him is something i'll never forget. >> reporter: he'll also likely never forget the 30-pound weight loss he endured for the role. >> my trainer is a crazy guy. he said, if you don't drink any water, any liquids for 36 hours before the first day of shooting, you're going to lose all this water weight. so, i did that. and lost a lot of weight. >> reporter: the much talked about live singing the actors did if "les mis," also meant a grueling vocal regimen, for this seasoned vocalist. >> we had music in our ears, with a live pianist playing. it was a bunch of actors going -- they're doing all this

crazy stuff. ♪ an eye for an eye >> this was not a party set. even though russell crowe was in the cast. and he did have a few parties. >> reporter: what advice does this former oscar host, now best actor nominee have for seth macfarlane? >> the best advice i got was from steve martin. he said, the first 45 minutes is the best audience you'll ever have in your life because in that room, everybody is way more nervous than you. he says, from that moment on, after 45 minutes, the room is filled with losers, not winners. so, just get to the end. hurry up. nothing you do is going to be funny. i pretty much took that advice. >> reporter: jackman doesn't miss being tongue-tied, meeting his fellow nominees. >> i declare these people emancipated. >> i blurted out, it's great to meet you. i think brando, in the '50s.

then, de niro. and obviously meryl streep. and i think daniel day-lewis, not only are the great actors of their time, but actually changed acting. >> reporter: the oscars are also a celebration of fashion. so, what will he and his wife, deb, be wearing on the big night? >> we're the tom ford couple. and she knows what it is. but of course, she will only unveil it on the day. >> nice try. >> yeah. you have to try. they'll look great. a and hugh said he based his portrayal on his father. great job. you can see all of the oscars right here, abc news, sunday, february 24th, starting at 7:00 eastern, 4:00 pacific. and coming up -- >> there's a wedding going on. >> there's a wedding happening. and melissa is upstairs. she's so excited. we got word, she has a dress. she's so excited. and in just two minutes, we've got a wedding happening.

stay tuned. there he is. >> here we go. @6

are you ready? we're back. let's go. it's the moment we've all been waiting for. it is our biggest love live event ever because we had a surprise proposal, that's going to turn into a wedding in a flash, with captain arnold, from nautical wedding bells. he's married thousands of couples. he's going to add to the roles today. we want to check in with the particulars. we're going to start with stacy, the matron of honor. how is our girl doing? >> she's doing amazing. for what just happened to her, it's so her. and for this to happen to that fast, it's incredible. she may have looked shocked.

but she is overwhelmed and happy right now. we were all crying in the bathroom. >> in the break, we asked how surprised were you, 1 to 100. it was like, 1,000. so, we have correspondents all over times square. we're going to start with elizabeth, with the proud papa here. mark cohn, not to be confused with my husband. how is your daughter doing? >> i think she's doing good. >> did you have qualms at all? not only a proposal, but a marriage happening live on the air within 30 minutes. >> we did think about it. but it was something that she would do. and she would want to do. >> you were sure she'd say yes. >> oh, yeah. >> she's a game girl. >> congratulations, dad. >> thank you. >> let's go to lara. >> behind me, melissa, the bride. i just spoke to her. she said, i'm getting married. i think we're ready, guys.

>> all right. everybody, please, rise. the moment is upon us. ♪ ♪ >> congratulations. >> thank you. ♪ ♪ >> you may be seated. bride, melissa, every experience you've ever had, everything

you've ever done, everything you've ever learned, has brought to you to this moment in time. as you now stand before these witnesses, to take each other as husband and wife. as you walk hand in hand into the future, cherish each moment as a gift. a gift given to strengthen the bond between you. brian, melissa, i'd like you to lock another each other, hold hands. brian, do you make melissa to be your partner in life. do you promise to walk by her side forever, to love, and encourage her? >> i do. >> will you share her laughter and her tears, as her partner and best friend? >> i will. >> will you do this now and forever more? >> i will. >> melissa, will you cherish your friendship with brian, and love him today, tomorrow and forever. will you trust and honor him? >> i will. >> will you love him faithfully through the best and the worst? through the difficult and the

easy? will you do this now and forever more? >> i will. >> josh, may i have the rings, please? brian, take this ring. place it on melissa's third finger of the left hand. while you're doing that, i want you to look at her. and i want you to say, melissa -- >> melissa, with this ring, i thee wed. >> with this ring, i thee wed. >> now and forever more. >> now and forever more. >> melissa, you put this ring on brian's hand. say with this ring -- >> with this ring. >> i thee wed. >> i thee wed. >> now and forever more. >> now and forever more. >> i now, with the power and authority vested in me, but most of all, with the power of your love, it's a privilege, a pleasure and an honor, that i pronounce you husband and wife. brian, you may kiss your bride for as long as you want. [ applause ]

>> everybody, mr. and mrs. brian bondy. congratulations. coming up, wedding cake as newlyweds. stay with us.

okay. ♪ get a fork? >> the cake is cut. >> jump in, huh? >> oh. that is a beautiful moment. >> cheers, everyone. congratulations. >> melissa, how are you feeling? >> this is awesome. >> how about we dance off?

>> have to do a dance, right? >> did you choose a song for the first dance? >> yeah. brian mcknight. >> that's it right now? >> yeah. >> all right. let's have the first dance of the lovely couple. >> thanks, everybody. see you tomorrow. good thursday morning, i'm megan pringle. >> and i'm charlie crowson. here are a few open the top stories for you on this thursday. if you're a teacher some state lawmakers want to help you out. they want to give you a bigger

tax break for flies that you're buying. the bill would let teachers write off as much as $500 for school supplies if they buy out of pocket. right now you get a $250 break from the federal government. and a california company is recalling some baby spinach because it could be contaminated with e. coli. the spinach was sold in several states including maryland. under five different labels, here they are -- the company taylor farms retail says no illnesses have been reported. all right, time now for a check of the forecast one more time with meteorologist lynette charles. >> all right, let's check off the temperatures this morning. this has been the big story with slick roadways still below freezing though in york right now. you can see the temperatures beginning to rise. we're going to right way. that's for sure. we're also going to be dealing with some valentine's day that's good temperature-wise coming in the afternoon. look at 47 degrees. we'll get some sunshine in here as well. and the plans will keep going as we go through tonight. it will be chilly with the temperature at 32-degrees and a

few clouds and the seven day forecast looks like this with windy conditions and maybe some snow possible on saturday morning. let's get a check now of the abc2 timesaver traffic with lauren cook. good morning. good morning lynette. well, traffic is a mess this valentine's day. we have accidents across the region. here in harford county a crash on harford road near jones junction and more problems in baltimore city with a crash on cold spring lane at falls road. the jfx is packed traveling southbound from the beltway down to 28th street. and here's what 695 looks like in parkville at harford road. outer loop crawling up to providence road. and over on the best side of the beltway -- west side of the beltway speeds clocking in auteurs 17 miles per hour on the -- at just 17 miles per hour on liberty road. "the doctors" is up next. >> looking forward to. that we're with you worm -- that. we're with you tomorrow morning at 4:30 a.m.. have a great day.